Playing the Preordained Hand
Something… no, make that *very* wrong!
Though talking to Ino, Uchiha Ying's attention remained fixed on Hinata. Today, she was unusually shy around him. Could it be because, during yesterday's sparring match, his hand had… brushed against her chest? Had that sparked some unusual reaction in her? Surely, the well-developed Hinata from last night's "dream" couldn't possibly be the slightly smaller Hinata standing before him now.
"Ying, I heard that after today's graduation exam, we'll be split into three-man genin squads. I hope I'm in the same group as you!" Yamanaka Ino, as always, clung to Ying's arm, flaunting their closeness to the class.
"Really?" he replied. Inwardly, however, he thought, *Unfortunately, that's not going to happen.* Ino was destined to team up with Shikamaru and Choji, forming the new Ino-Shika-Cho team. That much was predetermined. Just like how Naruto would fail the graduation exam today, only to learn the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu tonight from the forbidden scroll. That, too, was preordained.
He was beginning to understand what Orochimaru meant by the "unmoving windmill."
"Don't you want to be in the same group as me?" Ino asked, a hint of doubt in her voice. Ying's apparent lack of enthusiasm made her wonder if he cared at all.
"No, if I could, I'd definitely want to be in your group," he reassured her quickly. *Ideally, with Hinata and Ino, and Kurenai Yuhi as our jōnin instructor.* Of course, that was just a fantasy. In reality, Ying figured it was highly unlikely he'd be placed with any of the Konoha 11.
"Me too!" Ino's eyes crinkled with happiness at his affirmation. *See? Ying likes me after all!*
---
"What!? Today's the graduation exam!?" True to form, Naruto yelled at the news.
"Technically, it's the last part—the jutsu exam," Shikamaru mumbled, slumped over his desk. Being a ninja was bound to be a drag.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Naruto wailed.
"Iruka-sensei announced it ages ago. You just forgot," Choji said through a mouthful of potato chips. *The exam's just about the Clone Jutsu. Surely, no one could fail *that*,* he thought nonchalantly.
"Oh! I remember now! It *is* today! I'm doomed… I haven't prepared at all!" Naruto's face fell. If only it were the Transformation Jutsu! The Clone Jutsu was his worst.
"Don't worry, dead-last. Even if you *had* prepared, you'd still fail," Sasuke sneered. He usually ignored his classmates, but Naruto's dejected expression was too tempting an opportunity to kick him while he was down.
"Don't underestimate me! I'll definitely pass the graduation exam!" Despite his apprehension about the Clone Jutsu, Naruto's fighting spirit ignited at Sasuke's taunt.
---
"Damn it, damn it, damn it! Everyone passed except me…" As it turned out, even unwavering determination couldn't make the impossible possible. Naruto's attempt at the Clone Jutsu had produced a single, lifeless copy, promptly deemed a failure by Iruka. Now, he could only watch as his classmates received their Konoha headbands—symbols of honor and ninja status—from the academy instructors. He'd planned to meet with Uchiha Ying and Sasuke after school to discuss the mission from their shared "dream," but now, he lacked the courage to face them. They were genin now, and he was… still nothing. He would only be a burden.
He found himself at the familiar old swing by the academy gates, in the shadowed area far from the clamor of parents collecting their children. Unlike last time, however, it wasn't Uchiha Ying who appeared beside him, but someone else…
"Huh? Mizuki-sensei? You're saying if I learn a jutsu from the forbidden scroll, I can still graduate and become a genin?"
---
"So, the 'plot' has begun," Ying mused, noticing the commotion around Naruto. It seemed tonight was the night Naruto would learn the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu. "But, I didn't expect this…" As a precaution, he activated his Byakugan on his way home and was surprised to discover a tail trailing not far behind. The individual's chakra was well-concealed, but the Byakugan saw through it.
*It seems Hiruzen Sarutobi hasn't told Danzō about the 'Future Diary'.* Otherwise, Danzō wouldn't bother sending someone to watch a "useless," eyeless Uchiha.
*Good. Tonight, I'll give Danzō a taste of his own medicine in the dream. Might as well widen the rift between him and Sarutobi.* Ying continued walking, outwardly nonchalant. *But first, let's give this follower a little something to remember me by.*
---
"Hayate! I'm on a mission! Don't interfere!" Yugao Uzuki, following the Hokage's orders, was surveilling Uchiha Ying. Seeing him pass the exam and become a genin, she felt a pang of happiness for him. The Uchiha clan truly were exceptional. As she prepared to continue her surveillance, her fellow Anbu, Gekko Hayate, suddenly appeared, interrupting her.
"Sorry, sorry! I just wanted to ask if you'd like to get some dango. There's a new dango shop…" He'd intended to use his Transparency Jutsu to surprise her, but her serious demeanor caught him off guard.
"But… what mission could there be at the Academy?" Konoha had been peaceful for years. Most Anbu missions involved patrolling the village. The Academy usually had instructors handling security; there was no need for Anbu involvement.
"These are the Hokage's orders. Are you intending to violate protocol and pry into my mission?" Yugao asked coldly.
"No, no, absolutely not!" Hayate quickly backpedaled.
"Then move!" Yugao snapped, noticing that Ying was almost out of sight. Hayate, softened by the prolonged peace, had become too lax. What if an enemy infiltrated the village someday? The thought worried her. Though they hadn't officially become a couple because of their Anbu duties, they were just a confession away from it. But now wasn't the time for lectures. Glaring at Hayate, she swiftly moved through the rooftops and branches, pursuing her target.
"It's not even a mission day. What kind of mission did the Hokage give Yugao…?" Hayate scratched his head, puzzled, watching her disappear.
---
As a villainous Uchiha, targeted twice in a row, Ying wasn't about to take it lying down. "I need a good plan. Something that doesn't reveal too much of my strength, but still teaches him a lesson." Looking at the looming Forest of Death, an idea sparked. It was a good thing he was always prepared; his ninja pouch was always stocked with tools. "Simple traps won't stop him, but if…" He quickly ducked behind a large tree and began his preparations.
Meanwhile…
"Just as I suspected." A tiny insect buzzed back to its owner's finger. "He sensed I was following him and deliberately led me towards the Forest of Death." Aburame Torune, his face hidden by his hood, grew serious as he processed the information from his Parasitic Insects. "And the feedback indicates his chakra reserves are considerable, inconsistent with the reports of his 'frail health'." Lord Danzō's suspicions were correct; this Uchiha orphan was hiding something.
"Hmm? He set up a trap in such a short time?" A freshly graduated genin shouldn't possess such skill. The perfectly laid trap, easily triggered with a careless step, further convinced Torune that Uchiha Ying was no ordinary child. He considered bypassing it, but sensing something, he deliberately stepped towards the trap.
*Hmph, a trap in front, while he hides nearby, waiting to ambush me? My Parasitic Insects have already pinpointed your location. Clever, but ultimately, just the struggles of an ant.*
*Snap!* Torune feigned surprise as he triggered the trap, his attention fixed on Ying's hiding spot. *There!* As the trap sprang, he saw the boy charging from the blind spot, kunai in hand.
"Foolish tactic." So impatient, jumping out before the trap's effects could fully manifest. Such childish impulsiveness. A slight smirk played on his lips. He'd teach this boy a lesson.
*Secret Technique: Insect Sphere!* A swarm of Parasitic Insects erupted from his sleeves and beneath his feet, enveloping the charging Ying in a writhing mass. "Parasitic Insects, don't drain all his chakra. Lord Danzō won't…"
*Poof!* Before he could finish, the insect-covered Ying vanished in a puff of smoke.
*A Shadow Clone!? Then his real body is…*
*To the side!* Sensing a whoosh of air, Torune instantly identified Ying's true position.
*Secret Technique: Insect Cocoon!* Despite being tricked, his experience and reflexes allowed him to quickly adapt. He channeled chakra to spawn more Parasitic Insects while drawing his own kunai to meet the boy's attack.
*Clang!* The kunai clashed, and Torune immediately sensed something was amiss.
*Poof!* "Another Shadow Clone?" Another puff of smoke, and a sense of unease washed over him.
"No, a Substitution Jutsu. And the substitute is the real trap." Ying's voice came from above. Torune looked up and realized the initial trap he'd triggered hadn't done anything at all.
"That first trap was a diversion!"
*Zzzzip!* With the grating sound of taut wire, the wooden log Torune's kunai had struck exploded. Invisible wires, laced with explosive tags, now bound him.
"Explode!" Ying detonated the tags without hesitation. This enemy was likely a jōnin; he couldn't afford to hold back. And he was right. Though caught in the blast, the enemy's chakra remained steady as the smoke cleared.
*Secret Technique: Insect Wall!* The newly spawned Parasitic Insects had shielded Torune from most of the explosion. But as he watched his precious insects fall to the ground, a rage he hadn't felt in years surged through him. His left shoulder, slightly burned due to his delayed defense, dripped blood, adding insult to injury. He, an experienced shinobi, had been wounded by a freshly graduated genin?
"You won't escape, brat!" Ripping free from the wires, Torune lunged after the fleeing Ying, murder in his eyes.
---
"Huff… huff…" *So many explosive tags, and all they did was graze him. Is this the law of 'all smoke, no damage'?* Ying thought as he ran. "He's right behind me. I hope I make it in time." He gauged his position and activated his Byakugan, searching for a certain blond boy running with a scroll.
"That trap was just the appetizer. Now for the main course."
*Rustle.* He heard movement ahead and, a split second before Torune caught up, collided with someone running through the forest.
"Naruto!?" Ying clutched his head, feigning surprise as he looked at the blond boy he'd "bumped" into.
"Ying!?" The boy with the scroll was, of course, Naruto, having just "borrowed" the forbidden scroll.
"What are you doing here?" they both asked simultaneously. Ying, of course, was acting.
"You little brat! Nowhere left to run!" Torune, too enraged to notice Naruto, thrust his kunai at Ying's neck. This scene finally registered with a certain old man watching through a crystal ball in his office.